Store-ladder.



` PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907.

7er. ELLER. STORE LADDEH.

No. 862,622. PATENTED AUG. 6,'1907. G. ELLER.

STORE LADDER.

APrLIoATIQN HLED mn. 26, 1907.

BHEE S-SHEET 2.

eo? e EllmJ r position.

GEORGE ELLER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

STORE-LADDER.

Speeficaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filerl March 26, 1907. Serial No. 364,592.

To ull whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE ELLER, a Citizen of the i United States of America, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Store-Ladders7 of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings7 forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a ladder for use in stores for gaining access to the upper shelves upon which goods carried in stock are placed and it has for its object to produce a ladder of the kind named which is of durable and efficient construction and which may be folded against the shelving when not in use, thereby lessening the aisle space occupied by the ladder when it is not needed.

Figure I is a perspective view of my ladder illustrated in condition for use in conjunction with store shelving. Fgure II is a side elevation of the ladder shown in full lines in position for use and in dotted lines in folded Fig. III is a 'front elevation of the ladder. Fig. IV is a top or plan view of the ladder. Fig. V is an enlarged view in part a horizontal section taken through one of the sides of the ladder and in part an inverted plan view of one of the steps and illustrating the means for Connecting the steps to the sides of the ladder. Fig. VI is a fragmentary side elevation of the ladder at the location of one of its steps and illustrating the step securing means. Fig. VII is a. vertical section taken through one of the sides of the ladder and one of the steps and showing the step securing means in elevation.

A designates the floor of a building and B shelving that is mounted upon the floor and which may extend to any desirable height as is common in retail or other stores.

1 designates a track rail that is seated on the fioor A 'adjacent to the shelvng B and has a top or troad member 2 that juts inwardly over the base of the rail at its side Which faces the shelving B.

3 is rail secured to the shelving and provided at its outer edge with a flanged head 5, the fianges of which extend both above and below the body of said rail.

6 design-ates a carriage that is adapted to travel upon the shelf supported rail 3 and which is provided With a pair of upper track wheels 7 that are adapted to ride upon the upper flange of the rail 3 and a lower track wheel S that is adapted to ride against the lower flange of said shelf supported rail. The carriage is also provided with a rearwardly extending arm 9 arranged parallel with the head of the track rail 3 and which carries a guide yoke 10 that is adapted to embrace and travel in engagement with the flanges of the rail 3 for the purpose of restraining the carriage from side move-` ment relative to the fianges of the rail with which the carriage wheels coperate. 11. are outwardly projected superposed eyes carried by the carriage 6 and adapted to receive a member to be hcreinafter describcd.

12 and 12/ designatc the sides of the ladder and 13 are the ladder steps which are secured to said sides. The inner side 12 of the ladder is shOrter than the outer side 12/ and is adapted to occupy a position above the floor track rail 1, and sccurcd to this inner side of the ladder is a caster comprising a frame l-/f pivotally connected to a bracket 15 attached to the inner side 12 and a flange Wheel 16 that is adapted to travel on the trcad of the floor rail 1. The caster frame 14 is provided at its inner side which faces the shelving B with an inturned tongue 14/ that extends beneath the jutting edge of the trend of the floor rail to serve as a means for preventing the dislodgment of the caster 7from the floor rail.

17 designates a bracket arm sccured to the inner side 12 of the ladder and provided with a depending pivot pin 18 that is loosely seated in the superposed eyes 11 of the carriage 6 and which, while serving to connect the upper end of the ladder to the carriage 6 for its support, provides a joint between the ladder and the carriage of such nature that the ladder may be swung from a position at right angles to thc-shelving B into a folded position parallel with the shelving and vice versa. It will be seen while the swinging movement of the upper end of the ladder is permitted by the loose connection of the brackct arm 17 to the carriage G such movcment is also permitted at the lower end of the ladder, due to the fact of the easter earrying the inner side 12 of the ladder being pivotally connected to said inner` side, as explained 19 is a latch hook attached to the outer side 12' of the ladder in such position that it will move into engagement with the arm 9 of the carriage when the ladder -is moved into the foldcd position illustrated in dotted lines Fig. II, and thereby serve to hold the ladder in such folded position until it is lifted and drawn outwardly to (lisengage the latch hook from the arm.

20 designates a brace which is secured to and extends in a loop around the upper end of the ladder and terminatcs in a bifurcated free end 21 in which is vertically journaled an antifriction roller 22 that is adapted to ride against the face of the shclf supported track rail 3 when the ladder is moved to and fro along the shelving B and is in service for gaining access to the shelves of the shelving.

For the purpose of furnishing a securo means for the connection of the steps 13 to the sides of the ladder, I

utiliZe in connection with eachstep, a staple 23, one

of the legs of which terminatcs in a point 24- and the other leg of which terminatcs in an eye 25. To permit the application of these staples each side of the ladder is provided at the location of the steps with perforations 12b through Which the legs of the staples that bear the eyes are adapted to be passed. In applying the staples to the steps the leg of the staple is introduced into the proper perforation 12IL and the leg of the staple provided with the point 24 is driven through the side of the ladder and into the step With the result oi the last named leg being firmly embedded in the side and step of the'ladder while the other leg of the staple occupies a position beneath the step, as illus-' trated in Figs. V to VII inclusive. A nail or other fastener is then introduced through the eye 25 and into the stepy thereby securely attaching the staple to the step in a manner to effectually prevent disconnection of the step lfrom the side of the ladder.

I claini:

1. In a store ladder, and traveling' support therefor, the combination of a ladder, a carriag'e having outwardly projectingsuperposed eyes and a braeket, secured to the inner side at the upper end of the ladder, and having a depending' pivot pin loosely seated in the superposed eyes wherehy said ladder is foldahly attached to said carriage, sub stantially as set forth.

2. In a store ladder and traveling support therefor, the combination of a ladder, a carriage having outivardly projecting superposed eyes. a bracket seeured to the inner' side at the upper end of the ladder and having a depending pivot pin loosely seated in the superposed eyes, wherehy said ladder is foldably attached to said earriage, a hracket secured vto the inner side at the lower end of the ladder, and a caster pivoted to the bracket at the lower end of said ladder, substantially as set forth.

3. In a store ladder' and traveling support therefor, the combination of a ladder, a carriage having outwardly projeciiing superposed eyes and a rearwardly extending' arm provided with a guide yoke adapted to embrace the fianges of a track rail, a bracket attached to said ladder and pivotally fitted to the superposed eyes of said carriage, and a traveling support for the lower end of said ladder, substantially as set forth.

4. In a store ladder and traveling support therefor, the combination of a ladder, a earriage, means whereby said ladderI is foldably connected to said carriage, a track rail on which said carriage operates. and a brace looped around and earried by said ladder and having a bifureated free end provided with a roller adapted to ride against said track rail, suhstantially as set forth.

GEORGE ELLER.

In presence of- WM, H. WELknNnn, F. J. FATH. 

